Parents of Americans in Hamas captivity urge Biden to get tough on Iran: ‘This solidifies his legacy’

The parents of the Israeli-Americans still being held hostage by Hamas are urging President Biden to stand up to Iran — as they fear time is running out to save their children.

New Yorkers Orna and Ronen Neutra told The Post that America’s current strategy to free her son Omer through diplomacy was clearly not working and that President Biden’s legacy will be cemented by what happens to the seven Americans still trapped in Gaza.

“This solidifies his legacy,” Orna said.

“We know that the president cares about this issue, we know that he’s been pushing for a deal, but this version of the deal has been on the table since probably December of last year, and it’s not working.”

Omer, 23, just celebrated his second birthday in captivity on Monday.

Ronen echoed his wife’s frustration of hearing the administration’s promises to help for more than a year with no results to show.

The exasperated father suggested the US take a more hands-on approach rather than leaving everything to Israel — and called on Biden to challenge Iran, which sponsors both Hamas and Hezbollah.

“We’re asking the administration how come we’re not using the proof that Iran is involved, that Iran has attacked Israel – how come we are not using military and political means that the United States has to go to Iran and demand its American citizens that are kept in Hamas captivity for over a year?” he asked.

Ruby Chen, of Brooklyn, whose son’s body is still being held in Gaza, found it was outrageous that the US did not become more proactive after American Hersh Goldberg-Polin and five other hostages were murdered in August before they could be rescued.

Chen believed that those deaths would be the breaking point and force Biden to take direct action in Gaza to save the hostage and bring his son, Itai, 19, home.

“I thought that would be an inflection point, that the US would go bananas and do something – maybe not putting a 20-pound bomb on somebody’s head, but something in that neighborhood of saying we cannot continue the same policy that we’ve had for the last 11 months,” Chen said.

“And when you look at it, and when you ask the administration, you don’t see that change,” he added, “and I have to say it’s very disappointing.

“This is on you,” he said to Biden.

“Bring it to the finish line because God help us if we have to wait for the next administration to get settled in.”

Adi Alexander, of Tenafly, New Jersey, said he wants Biden to act before Election Day to secure the freedom of his son, Edan, 20.

Alexander agreed that Biden needs to deal directly with Iran rather than Hamas, saying the president was now in a prime position to push Tehran to intervene as the Islamic republic braces for Israel’s looming retaliatory attack.

“The [hostage] deal that has been negated since January – Hamas doesn’t want it,” he said.

“We just need to face it.

“They don’t want it and we need something new. It just doesn’t work,” he added.

But Qatari officials, whose government is helping broker a cease-fire deal, are adamant that any progress to free the hostages won’t come until after the election.

One official familiar with the talks told The Post that Biden effectively lost any leverage to broker a cease-fire when he announced he wasn’t seeking re-election in July, with both Israel and Hamas allegedly wanting to wait to deal with Biden’s successor.

The administration as a whole is allegedly now preparing for the reality that the hostages will remain in Gaza even after Biden steps down on Jan. 20, US officials told Axios.

In preparation for this, Secretary of State Antony Blinken is considering a post-war plan for Gaza developed by Israel and the United Arab Emirates, which pushes out the Palestinian Authority that the US had hoped would take the reins of Gaza.

The “Plan B” strategy, which officials warned would be rejected by Palestinians as it heavily favors Israel’s desires, is seen as an attempt to put a positive spin on Biden’s legacy as he exits the conflict.

The State Department did not immediately respond to The Post’s request for comment.